May 2013 | Volume 121 | Issue 5

News

Focus

Hurricane Sandy, which struck the U.S. East Coast on 29 October 2012, was the largest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. It reached more than 1,000 miles in diameter and affected 24 states from Florida to Maine. Every layer of society, every type of building, felt the impact of the hurricane, and incidences of death and illness, although small in number compared with some other storms, have come in many forms. As recovery and rebuilding move forward, the environmental health impacts of Hurricane Sandy continue to unfold.

Spheres of Influence

Infants and toddlers, who experience the world with their hands and mouths, are more exposed to indoor toxics and also are more sensitive to them. Yet environmental health standards in child care settings nationwide—which can include not just private centers but also a variety of other venues—lag behind those of schools. A host of other factors, many of them specific to child care, contribute to the challenge of protecting the environmental health of young charges. But while child care–specific regulations on the national level appear unlikely anytime soon, experts say the child care industry is on the verge of a breakthrough in environmental health.

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Publication of articles in EHP does not mean that the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) condones, endorses, approves, or recommends the use of any products, services, materials, methodology, or policies stated therein. Conclusions and opinions are those of the individual authors and advertisers only and do not reflect the policies or views of the NIEHS.